Free Crochet Poncho Pattern, Elise Poncho

If you have been looking for a stunning how to crochet a poncho pattern, your search ends here. Okay, that was way too cheesy, sorry! I really hope you will love this free crochet pattern though :).

I am super excited to publish this pattern as this would be my very first free clothing pattern. I designed this in response to the requests I got from my blog readers which makes it even more special.

This crochet poncho is designed with the same stitch I used for my Falling Petals Afghan, Rose Petals Scarf and Sea Shells Cowl. I might as well design another afghan where the same stitch is worked in the round.

I had initially intended to make this a triangle poncho but I didn’t quite like how short it turned out. So, I decided to add extensions to the front and the back and turn it into a Kaftan style poncho. I hope you like the result. Enjoy the free pattern.

You can work from the written pattern below or purchase an Ad-free PDF for just $2.99 here.

Size Medium and Large (M/L): 26 inches long and 35 1/2 inches wide when laid flat.

Gauge

4 Pattern Repeats= 5 inches

Yardage

10 skeins of Sprightly Acrylic Wool Worsted yarn of 216 yards each.

Stitch Abbreviations

ch-chain

dc-double crochet

fpdc-front post double crochet

bpdc- back post double crochet

beg- beginning

RS- Right side of your crochet fabric

WS– wrong side of your crochet fabric

Stitch Explanations

V st: (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) worked into the same st.

Shell St worked into a V-st: 1 fpdc in the first dc (first leg of the V-st), (3 dc, ch 2, 3dc) into ch-2 space of the V-st, 1 fpdc in the next dc ( second leg of the V-st).

Front post double crochet (fpdc) and Back Post double crochet(bpdc): You can see a tutorial here.

Crochet Pattern

Neck Ribbing

Row 1: Ch 82, sl st to the first ch, ch 3 ( counts as 1st dc), 1 dc in next ch and each ch across to end, sl st to top of beg ch-3, do not turn.———82 dc

Row 2: Ch 3 ( counts as a bpdc here and throughout), 1fpdc in next dc, *( 1 bpdc in next dc, 1 fpdc in next), repeat from * to end, sl st to top of beg ch-3, do not turn.———82 sts

Row 3: Ch 3, 1 fpdc in next fpdc, *(1 bpdc in next bpdc, 1 fpdc in next fpdc), repeat from * to end, sl st to top of beg ch-3, do not turn.———82 sts

Repeat Row 3 until your ribbing is around 8 1/4 inches high. You can make it as tall or as short as you want it to be. The choice is yours.

Body of the Poncho

Notes

1. The body of the poncho will now be worked around the neck in a square shape with 4 corners.

2. The body is worked on the wrong side of the ribbed neck.

3. Every time the pattern says to move the marker up, move the marker from the previous ch-2 space to the ch-2 space you just made. The markers indicate the 4 corners.

Row 1:Turn the neck inside out, ch 1 (not counted as a st here), 1 sc in the same st as ch 1, 1 sc in next 19 sts, sc2tog, 1 sc in next 40 sts, sc2tog, 1 sc in the remaining 19 sts to end, sl st to the first sc. ——80 sc

1.Marker placed in the first corner

Note: After every 4 V-sts, you will make a corner formed by a (V-st, ch 2 and a V-st) in the same st.

Row 2: Ch 5 ( counts as dc+ ch 2), 1 dc in the same st (first V-st made), ch 2, work one more V-st in the same st, place a marker in the ch-2 between the 2 V-sts, *[sk 3 sts, 1 V-st in next st] 4 times, sk 3 sts, (V-st, ch 2, V-st)all in the next st to make a corner, place a marker in the ch-2 between the 2 V-sts, repeat from * 2 more times, [sk 3 sts, 1 V-st in next st] 4 times, sl st to beg ch-3. Do not turn. —-24 V-sts

2. Corner worked in a Shell Row

3. Close-up of the corner

Note: If you have worked any of my other patterns with the same stitch, kindly be advised that the shell in this pattern include the 2 fpdc sts on either side. See stitch explanation for details.

Row 3: Sl st to the next ch-2 space, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space, 1 fpdc in next dc, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) all in the marked ch-2 space, move the marker up into the ch-2 between the dc.

*shell in each V-st across to the next marked ch-2 space, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in the marked ch-2 space, move the marker up into the ch-2 space you just made), repeat from * 2 more times, shell in each V-st to end of the round, 1 fpdc in next dc ( the first leg of the very first V-st), sl st to beg ch-3. Do not turn.——-24 shells + 4 corners formed by (2dc, ch 2, 2 dc)

4. Row 4 completed

Row 4: Sl st loosely into the next 2 dc, sl st into next ch-2 space, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch-2 space ( first V-st made), (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in next marked ch-2 space, move the marker up, *1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to the next marked ch-2 space, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in next marked ch-2 space, move the marker up, repeat from * 2 more times, 1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to end, sl st to beg ch-3, do not turn. ————32 V-sts

Row 5: Sl st into the next ch-2 space, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in the same ch-2 space, 1 fpdc in next dc (the second leg of the V-st), shell in next V-st, (2 dc , ch 2, 2 dc ) in the next marked ch-2 space, * shell in each V-st across to the next marked ch-2 space, (2 dc , ch 2, 2 dc ) in the next marked ch-2 space, repeat from * 2 more times, shell in each V-st across to end of the round, 1 fpdc in next dc ( the first leg of the very first V-st), sl st to beg ch-3. Do not turn.——–32 shells + 4 corners

Row 6: Sl st loosely into the next 2 dc, sl st into next ch-2 space, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch-2 space ( first V-st made), 1 V-st in the ch-2 space of next shell, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in next marked ch-2 space, move the marker up, *1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to the next marked ch-2 space, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in next marked ch-2 space, move the marker up, repeat from * 2 more times, 1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to end, sl st to beg ch-3, do not turn. ————40 V-sts

Row 7: Sl st into the next ch-2 space, ch 3, 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc in same ch-2 space, 1 fpdc in next dc (the second leg of the V-st), shell in each V-st across to next marked ch-2 space, (2 dc , ch 2, 2 dc ) in the next marked ch-2 space, * shell in each V-st across to next marked ch-2 space, (2 dc , ch 2, 2 dc ) in the next marked ch-2 space, repeat from * 2 more times, shell in each V-st to end of the round, 1 fpdc in next dc ( the first leg of the very first V-st), sl st to beg ch-3. Do not turn.——–40 shells+ 4 corners

Row 8: Sl st loosely into the next 2 dc, sl st into next ch-2 space, ch 5, 1 dc in same ch-2 space ( first V-st made), 1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to the next marked ch-2 space, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in next marked ch-2 space, move the marker up, *1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to the next marked ch-2 space, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in next marked ch-2 space, move the marker up, repeat from * 2 more times, 1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to end, sl st to beg ch-3, do not turn. ————48 V-sts

Repeat Rows 7 and 8 until you have completed a total of 23 rounds for size Small and 25 rounds for sizes Medium/Large. You will end in a shell round, fasten off.

Every time you repeat Rows 7 and 8 you will add 8 shells and 8 V-sts respectively. For example, Row 9 will end in 48 shells and Row 10 will end in 56 V-sts.

At end of Round 23 you will have 104 shells around and at end of Round 25, you will have 112 shells around not including the marked corners.

Front and Back Extension

5. Add an extension by working back and forth as shown

Notes

1. Now you will stop working in the round and add an extension to the front and the back. That way, your poncho will increase in length while the width stays the same.

2. Stitch counts for bigger sizes are given in the order Small(Medium/Large).

Row 1: Working on the WS, sl st into one of the marked ch-2 spaces, ch 4 (counts as dc+ch1), 1 V-st in ch-2 space of the next 26( 28) shells, ch 1, 1 dc in the next marked ch-2 space, turn.——-26(28) V-sts

Row 2: Ch 3, shell in each V-st across to end, 1 dc on top of beg ch-3, turn.—–26(28) shells

Row 3: Ch 4, 1 V-st in the ch-2 space of each shell across to end, ch 1, 1 dc on top of beg ch-3, turn.—-26(28) V-sts

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have added a total of 4 shell rows.

Next Row: Ch 3, 1 dc in the next st, sk 1 st, 1 dc in the next 2 sts, 1 dc in the next ch-2 space of shell, 1 dc in next 2 sts, *(sk 4 sts, 1 dc in the next 2 sts, 1 dc in the next ch-2 space of shell, 1 dc in next 2 sts), repeat from * until 2 sts left, sk next st, 1 dc in next st, 1 dc on top of beg ch-3, turn.—- 134(144) sts

Row 2: Ch 3, * (1 fpdc in next fpdc, 1 bpdc in next bpdc), repeat from * to last st, 1 dc in last st, turn.

Repeat Row 2 until your ribbing is 2 inches wide. Fasten off.

Adding Shells to the Side of the Extension

Now you will add shells to the sides to make the edges of the poncho look more uniform. The shells will start only from the top of the bottom ribbing.

Right side: Sl st to the top of the ribbing and work upwards, *( 3dc, ch 2, 3dc) all into the next big ch-space, sl st to the side of the shell, repeat from * 2 more times, (3dc, ch 3, 3dc) in the last big ch-space, 1 sc in the marked ch-2 space, sl st in the next 2 sts, fasten off.

Left side: Sl st 2 sts before the marked st on the side of the poncho, sl st in next st, sl st into marked ch-2 space, *( 3dc, ch 2, 3dc) all into the next big ch-space, sl st to the side of the shell, repeat from * 2 more times, (3dc, ch 3, 3dc) in the last big ch-space, sl st to the top of the ribbing, fasten off.

Repeat the same steps to extend the back of your poncho and add the bottom ribbing.

Seaming the Sides of the Poncho

The poncho is sewn on the right side to form the armholes and the slits. Fold the poncho at the neck, align the sides and bottom, sew 4 inches away from the side edges leaving a 7 1/2 inch gap for the armhole at the top and another 7 1/2 inches for the side slits at the bottom.

12 Comments

This poncho is beautiful. I live in the south and sometimes a regular heavy poncho is just too much. This one is perfect for our up and down temps in the spring, summer and fall. It certainly was well worth the wait. I don’t blog. Don’t even know how, so I rely on emails like this. Thank you for this.

Love this, is it possible to make just a simple neck edge instead of the cowl? It is beautiful as is, but I have a thing about having anything around my neck. Due to being strangled. Have a hard time even with a necklace… Thanks for all you so generously share! XO April

This is gorgeous! I can’t wait to try. This year I have challenged myself to both design my own patterns and broaden my horizons by trying to finish patterns by others designers. Usually I give up on other designers patterns when I hit a snag and just redesign to my liking. However that doesn’t teach me new skills. Thanks so much for sharing this really really pretty Pattern.